your favourite pain-in-the-ass

About

My mother asked me what ‘bardbara‘ meant when I posted my blog on Facebook. Back in 2015 I wanted to participate in a writing competition organised by the British Council in Singapore. The idea behind the competition was for authors to write something Shakespeare-esque. I didn’t want to use my real name, and I was at that age where I still took everything seriously and what could be more serious than to call myself a ‘professional storyteller’? I also wanted something feminine, so you could say ‘bardbara‘ is a portmanteau of ‘bard’ and the name ‘Barbara’.

My real name is not Barbara. Not even close.

I did not eventually enter the competition.

I am a 29-year-old female. I work in a university (I do not teach, instead I do fun things like Compliance (heh) and walking around campus wearing Vans every day. Different pairs, I must add). I have worked in schools since I was 23. Ethnically I am Malay, and contrary to what people say I am effectively bilingual. Effective meaning I can code switch between English and Malay when I am talking to my mother and friends, and I can swear in both languages. I however do not read, count, or think in Malay.

At university I majored in English. Most people think I learnt English/to write in university but that’s stupid because in university they don’t teach you shit like grammar and vocab and how to form a sentence.

I would like to write and publish my own book someday, open my own plus-sized online boutique someday, and work on my wedding-stuff business someday. But I procrastinate a lot so I might not get there (this is fear talking).

I live in Singapore with my cat Oliver. I am not interested in dating, so please don’t ask.